Conduit and outlet box locating unit



1965 H. M. WILLIAMS I CONDUIT AND OUTLET BOX LOCATING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1963 l f m.

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INVENTOR. flan/ M Williams Jan. 5, 1965 H. M. WILLIAMS 3,163,909

counun AND OUTLET BOX LOCATING UNIT Filed Nov. 18, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. an w. MM 4 5 i 5 United States Patent 3,163,909 CONDUIT AND OUTLET BOX LOCATHNG UNIT Harvey M. Williams, 6310 Melrose Drive, North Highlands, Calif. Filed Nov. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 324,469 3 Claims. (Cl. 25-118) The present invention relates in general to the installation of the permanent electrical system in a building under construction, and particularly to the locating of wall type outlet boxes when the wiring for such boxes is carried in rigid conduits and comes from below floor level. v

In such case, and by reason of the fact that the outlet boxes are to be enclosed within the walls to be erected, the conduits for such boxes must in part each extend upwardly through the foundation which will support the walls. When the foundation is concrete, it is necessary that the conduits and the outlet boxes thereon be prelocated in a rigid position before the foundation is poured. Otherwise, the concrete pouring operation would -unless great care be taken-tend to cause the conduits, together with the corresponding outlet boxes, to be dislocated from their desired position relative to the Wall to be subsequently erected on the foundation.

It is, therefore, the major object of this invention to providefor use when the foundation is to be of concrete-a novel locating unit adapted to hold each conduit and outlet box in a predetermined rigid position whereby to prevent the concrete pouring operation from disturbing such conduit and outlet box. Also, the locating unit, when in place, offers no substantial obstruction to the concrete pouring operation. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide a locating unit, for the purpose described, adapted to be mounted on and supported from the forms for the concrete foundation; the unit being arranged so that it may be easily removed from said forms after the foundation has been poured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locating A unit, for the purpose described, which is constructed so that an outlet box may be releasably clamped in a desired positionboth horizontally and verticallyabovethe top of the forms, and which may be accomplished irrespective of the exact initial disposition of the locating unit on such forms.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a locating unit, as above, having a structural arrangement such that the unit may be employed to rigidly hold a conduit in place even though such conduit may not have an outlet box fixed in connection therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locating unit which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable locating unit and one which is exceedingly efl'ectivefor the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the locating unit as mounted in place on the forms for a concrete foundation, and with an outlet box clamped to such unit.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of the foundation forms and locating unit; the view showing the unit as mounted on the forms but in folded position. I

FIG. 3 is a similar view, but showing the unit in its erected position and with an outlet box clamped to said unit; the view being taken on line 33 of FIG. 4.

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FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the locating unit in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the conyentional forms-for a building foundation include a pair of longitudinally extending transversely spaced vertical panels or boards 1 which are stiflened along the top and on the outside by headers 2.

An electrical conduit 3, of usual type, extends into the space 4 between the boards 1 at a point below the headers 2; the conduit passing through an opening 5 in one of such boards. In the space 4 the conduit 3 bends upwardly and thence projects to an upper end termination above the forms; said conduit being fitted at its upper end with a conventional forwardly facing outlet box 6.

The conduit and outlet box locating unit, which is the subject of this invention and which maintains the box 6 in a predetermined rigid position above and in a plane between the forms while the concrete foundation is being poured, is constructed as follows:

Straddling the forms at the top and resting on the headers 2 are angle beams 7; such beams facing away from each other and being disposed in spaced relation lengthwise of the boards 1 a predetermined distance and at right angles thereto. These beams 7 are detachably secured to the headers 2 by double-headed nails 8 which project through slots 7a in the form-engaging flanges of the beams 7; the slots being elongated so that the locating unit can be used on forms having different spacing.

A pair of spaced uprights 9 of angle form is arranged to project upwardly from between the beams 7 intermediate the ends thereof; said uprights 9 being rigidly connected at their upper ends by a cross beam 10 which maintains the uprights spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between the adjacent faces of the beams 7. The uprights 9 are disposed so that-at their lower ends-opposed flat faces thereof engage flush with the adjacent fiat faces of the beams 7 as shown.

The uprights 9 are permanently pivoted to the beam 7 by bolts 11 which are disposed close to the lower edges of said beams so that the uprights may be folded down The uprights 9, in their front faces Sla and which normally lie in a vertical plane extending lengthwise of the forms, are formed with elongated vertical slots 14 in which the clamping bolts 15 of a horizontal cross bar 16 are adjustably slidable. The cross bar 16,'which is provided with an elongated horizontal slot 17, is positioned-by vertical adjustment thereof-so that it extends across the back of the outlet box 6. Such box is then detachably but rigidly clamped against the cross bar 16 by a clamping bolt 18 which projects through the slot 17 and through the back of said box. In this manner the outlet box 6 is pre-located in a rigid position and so that upon subsequent pouring of the concrete foundation between the forms and about the lower portion of conduit 3, such outlet box cannot he accidentally shifted from such position.

As the cross ba-r16 is vertically adjustable, the locating unit can accommodate the outlet box at different selective heights above floor level. Further, the elongated being vertically alined with the outlet box engaging face of the cross bar 16. The cross rods 19 provide a means .for engagement by another conduit 20 which may extend into the space 4 and then project above the forms; such other'conduit-having no outlet box thereon-being detachably clamped against one or the other 'of the rods by a wire tie 21 or the like. The conduit 20 is thus held against movement or displacement during pouring of the concrete foundation.

After the concrete foundation has been poured and is set, the outlet box clamping bolt 18 is withdrawn, and the wire tie 21-is removed if a conduit 20 is present. The bolts 13 which holds the uprights 9 in a vertical position are then removed to enable said uprights and cross bar 16 to be swung back somewhat so as to clear the outlet box, and thus not disturb the same when the beams 7 are being detached from the'headers 2 by withdrawing the nails 8.

Upon detachment of the beams 7 from the forms,'the locating unit is. removed therefrom and for subsequent use on another form.

With the described locating unit, an outlet box-having a wiring conduitleading thereon-can be rigidly held in an exact predetermined position (both vertically and horizontally) during pouring of a concrete foundation between the forms and about the portion of the conduit which becomes embedded in such foundation.

The slots 7a in beams 7 not only permit use of the locating unit on forms having different spacing (as previously described), but also allow of adjustment of the locating unit transversely of the forms for the purpose of initially positioning it to properly dispose and rigidly support an outlet box and conduit with respect to different wall thicknesses and finishes.

While the locating unit is especially adapted for use with electrical condiuts and outlet boxes, such unit may also serve to effectively positionvent ducts, water and gas pipes, or the like.

that there has been produced such a locating unit as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

'While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the locating unit, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do .not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. In combination with stationary concrete-foundation forms, an outlet box locating unit for maintaining such box in a fixed position between the forms and a predetermined distance above the same; the unit comprising a pair of beams straddling and resting on the forms on opposite sides of the outlet box, a pair of uprights normally projecting upwardly from the beams and rigidly connected together at their upper ends, means mounting the uprights at their lower ends for controlled lateral swinging movement between a vertical position and a position back from the outlet box, a cross bar extending between the uprights and arranged to engage the back of the outlet box when the uprights are in a vertical position, clamping bolts adjustably securing the cross bar to the uprights and projecting through vertical slots in the latter, and a clamping bolt detachably mounted in and projecting from the back of the outlet box and through a horizontal slot in the cross bar when the uprights are in said vertical position.

2. In combination with stationary concrete-foundation forms, an outlet box locating unit for maintaining such box in a fixed position between the forms and a predetermined distance above the same; the unit comprising a pair of beams straddling and resting on the forms on opposite sides of the outlet box, a pair of uprights normally projecting upwardly from the beams and rigidly connected together at their upper ends, means mounting the uprights at their lower ends for controlled lateral swinging movement between a vertical position and a positionv back from the outlet box, a cross bar extending between the uprights and arranged to engage the back of the outlet box when the uprights are in a vertical position, clamping bolts adjustably securing the cross bar to the uprights and projecting through vertical slots in the latter, a clamping bolt detachably mounted in and projecting from the back of the outlet box and through a horizontal slot in the cross bar when the uprights are in said vertical position, and a cross rod extending between andsecured to the uprights below the cross bar for tying engagement with a conduit upstanding from between the forms andsaid pair of beams.

3; In combination with stationary concrete-foundation forms, an outlet box locating unit'for maintaining such box in a fixed position between the forms and a predetermined distance above the same; the unit comprising a pair of uprights connected .in rigid relation above and spaced lengthwise of the forms, means supported from the uprights for detachable clamping engagement with the back of the outlet box, beams straddling and resting on the forms and detachably secured thereto; and means securing theuprights at their lower ends on the beams intermediate the ends thereof for controlled lateral swinging movement between an outlet box clamping position and a position back from the outlet box when the clamping means is detached.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,041,991 10/ 12 Frost 25-131 1,654,349 12/27 Schweinert 25-131 1,855,751 4/32 Buchanan. 2,157,800 5/39 Ormstead 25-131 FOREIGN PATENTS 680,946 10/52 Great Britain.

MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Primary Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION WITH STATIONARY CONCRETE-FOUNDATION FORMS, AN OUTLET BOX LOCATING UNIT FOR MAINTAINING SUCH BOX IN A FIXED POSITION BETWEEN THE FORMS AND A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE ABOVE THE SAME; THE UNIT COMPRISING A PAIR OF UPRIGHTS CONNECTED IN RIGID RELATION ABOVE AND SPACED LENGTHWISE OF THE FORMS, MEANS SUPPORTED FROM THE UPRIGHTS FOR DETACHABLE CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BACK OF THE OUTLET BOX, BEAMS STRADDLING AND RESTING ON THE FORMS AND DETACHABLY SECURED THERETO; AND MEANS SECURING THE UPRIGHTS AT THEIR LOWER ENDS ON THE BEAMS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF FOR CONTROLLED LATERAL SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN OUTLET BOX CLAMPING POSITION AND A POSITION BACK FROM THE OUTLET BOX WHEN THE CLAMPING MEANS IS DETACHED. 